The Hindu : Sport : Anju returns to a warm welcome

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Monday, Sep 12, 2005

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Anju returns to a warm welcome

Special Correspondent

ALL SMILES: Anju George and her husband Bobby George acknowledging the cheers on arrival in New Delhi. — Photo: Sandeep Saxena

NEW DELHI: Anju Bobby George, silver medal winner at the World Athletics Final in Monaco, returned here on Saturday night to a warm welcome from the Capital's athletics fraternity.

The reception at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, past midnight, was reminiscent of her homecoming after her historic bronze medal at the 2003 World championships in Paris.

Led by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) Secretary, Lalit K. Bhanot, the welcoming party greeted the Kerala long jumper and her husband Bobby George with garlands and showered rose petals as TV crews mobbed the couple for exclusive quotes.

Obviously elated in winning the first ever medal by an Indian at the World Athletics Final, Anju placed it alongside her 2003 Paris feat, but pointed out that the field was a lot tougher.

Intimidating field

"The field was slightly intimidating. Barring (Tianna) Madison no one was missing from the top. After warming up I felt more confident," said Anju.

Asked about her three fouls out of the four attempts that were allowed in the Monte Carlo competition, Anju said that her approach was to go all out, knowing that she was in good form. "It was medal or nothing."

Anju followed up two fouls with a 6.75m that proved second best to Russian Tatyana Kotova's 6.83m. As she went all out for the gold on her last jump she had another foul.

"These things happen when you go all out," said Bobby George.

Time for rest

Anju felt that she had not yet peaked fully for the season. "A 6.90 is still a possibility," she said, but added that there was to be no more competition for her this season. It was time to go for a well-earned rest.

Asked about the poor performance of Russians Irina Simagina (6.47), Oksana Udmurtova (6.48) and Olympic champion Tatyana Lebedeva (6.49), Anju said that it was not because of lack of effort.

"Everyone tried hard. Everyone was keen to be able to get into the world top seven and thus get into the World Athletics Final. And then, in the competition, every jumper was looking for a medal."

Simagina, the only jumper to cross seven metres this season, had missed the World championships through injury and finished seventh and last in Monaco. Lebedeva had concentrated solely on triple jump this season, competing in long jump in only one Grand Prix level meet, while Udmurtova had a season best of 6.86. Frenchwoman Eunice Barber, World championship winner in 2003 and bronze winner in Helsinki, had a 6.51 for the fourth place.

Bobby said that they would be preparing now for the World Indoor championships next year as well as the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne and the Asian Games in Doha. He felt that a seven-metre jump could come any time.

The reception party included a batch of junior athletes drawn from the inter-districts competition, who have been in a training camp here. They were quite excited about meeting such a champion as Anju and sought her autograph apart from posing with her for the benefit of the cameramen. One of the prominent senior athletes to make it to the airport to greet Anju and Bobby was discus thrower Anil Kumar. "I felt proud when she won the medal," said Anil.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Secretary-General, Randhir Singh, on his return from Guangzhou after an Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) meeting was also on hand to congratulate Anju.

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